The best man loses

I honestly thought the last two would have been Chris and Taylor. This is a man's year to win, and the best one can't anymore.

ADRIANNE ROOKS, 25, SOUTH SHORE

False 'Idol'

WOW! America has a skewed view of the next "American Idol"! ("Shocker," May 11 cover story.) America, this is about voting for your FAVORITE contestant, even if their performance wasn't the best!

I mean, look at the Cubs--we still go to Wrigley Field to cheer them on, even when they lose nine games in a row! If we were all fair-weather fans, no one would be occupying those seats each game! Shame on all you Chris [Daughtry] fans who watched Tuesday night and didn't vote for him, and shame all the rest of you "AI" viewers who never even vote!

Chris was the only person on that stage that had presence, owned the songs he sang and looked pretty dang good while delivering too.

Katharine could pull it off because she is marketable and has a decent voice. Taylor, well, he has music running through his veins and it shows--but I don't see America running out to get his CD. Elliott--even though he has a heartwarming story about his diabetes/hearing loss and he is a mamma's boy--isn't much to look at, and he has a very "old" voice.

In my opinion, the show's finale was last night when Chris left. Chris will do well with whatever he pursues, but my love affair with Tuesday and Wednesday nights has just ended. I am heartbroken!

Jessica Guenther, 30, Northern Suburbs

Fox hunt

Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I find it awfully suspicious that Taylor had a chance to perform on Wednesday night's "Idol." Given that the producers knew Chris would be voted off, they're now trying to "sell" the public on Taylor as the next American Idol. Don't publish my last name, because I fear Fox's black helicopters (or "24's" Jack Bauer) will come after me.

Dave [last name withheld, not that that would stop Jack Bauer], Lincoln Park

Nooooo!

I absolutely do not think that Chris should have been voted out. Katharine did not perform great at all--forgot her words, was pitchy. Chris was nothing but a great singer and he is gone. I really don't even know if I want to watch it anymore. All the "American Idol" fans that I know of are in mourning today. Bye, Chris ... we love you!

Sue Smith, 43, West Chicago

Chris will be a star

It's kind of suspect, since everyone I have asked agreed and believed that Katharine should and would be eliminated. My boyfriend's theory is that the producers wanted to keep a female in for at least one more week so it really didn't matter if Katharine got only one vote--she wasn't going anywhere. The guy with the lowest votes was going home regardless. . . . I also believe regardless of who wins, Chris is the only one who will become truly successful, since his fans have been eagerly awaiting his CD. In the meantime, go Elliott and Taylor!

Susana Tello, Edison Park

Complete the circle

While "first come, first served" is generally a strong fairness principle, I think in this case we should refer to Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill's utilitarianism, which contends that the correct action provides the greatest happiness for the greatest number. ("CTA South Side Shaft?" May 9 Going Public column by Kyra Kyles.)

Although the Red Line expansion is a long overdue project, the Far South Side is a sparsely populated area of Chicago compared with the area that the Circle Line would serve.

The Circle Line would benefit a far greater number of Chicago residents by connecting all the rail lines and many major bus routes without sending everyone through the Loop. Anyone who has tried to get to O'Hare from Rogers Park or the Southwest Side understands this. Any well-designed ground transportation system in the world, whether its an expressway or a subway, follows the "hub and spoke" pattern, with at least one outer loop because it makes sense. Chicago needs to join them.

Adrian Cook, 23, Streeterville

Pay to play

The $299 launch price point has been a staple [for video game systems] for a while now. ("Would you pay $599 for a game console?" May 11.) Microsoft only breached it slightly, allowing gamers to make the choice about whether or not they wanted to take the plunge with their premium system.

I've been a Sony lover since the PlayStation 1, but I cannot describe how disappointed I am in them. I had planned on getting [a PlayStation 3] until they announced how much it would be. After purchasing a $600 premium PS3 system, games, controllers and accessories and adding taxes, it would be impossible to walk out of a store paying less than $800-$900.

I'd rather not. I've been a gamer all my life and I've always known one important fact: They're just games.